When unemployment in Yuma ballooned to 22.9 percent in 2009, people were streaming in the other direction. From 2000 to 2010, Yuma’s population surged more than 20 percent, even as the jobless rate continued to climb.

A few months ago, the city of Phoenix rolled out a $450,000 taxpayer-funded report showing that local governmental workers were paid 6 percent more in aggregate wages and benefits than private sector workers on average.

While working families struggle to make ends meet in this sluggish economy, there is a bright spot on the horizon for Arizona’s lowest-paid workers: On Jan. 1, the state’s minimum wage increased 30 cents to $7.65, raising wages for more than 130,000 low-wage workers.

The increase not only helps hard-working Arizonans provide for their families, but also boosts the overall economy.

In a state where unemployment remains high as much of the rest of the nation recovers from the Great Recession, Yuma stands out. The metropolitan area’s jobless rate of 15.9 percent in August was the nation’s second highest, trailing only nearby El Centro, Calif., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.